


the key

by comefeedtherainn



Series: Memory is the Key SMAU [3]
Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti)
Genre: Brainwashing, Guns, Kidnapping, M/M, mitkau, smau fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-11
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-18 11:33:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29982225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/comefeedtherainn/pseuds/comefeedtherainn
Summary: As usual, Sonia Gray has underestimated the power of the bond between two people.(smau tie-in fic)
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Series: Memory is the Key SMAU [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2171127
Comments: 3
Kudos: 34





	the key

"You. Get the fuck up."

Eddie blinks, shrinking away from the boot in his side. It doesn't hurt so much as it's annoying, and he squints through his adjusting vision to see that it's Richie, sitting near enough to nudge him irritatingly but far enough away that Eddie can't reach him. His heart clenches seeing him, taking in the weight he's lost already, the circles under his eyes, the low set of his brow. He looks like a cornered animal, skittish with wide eyes and tense shoulders.

"I'm awake," Eddie mumbles, pushing himself up to sit properly and swatting away the boot. His head pounds and he groans, touching a hand to his temple. He feels crusted blood there, and hisses sharply. "Ow. Fuck."

"Who the hell are you?"

Eddie frowns at him, gritting his teeth through the throbbing in his head. 

"Can I get a fucking bandage or something?"

"No. Why do you know me?"

Eddie lowers his hand into his lap, searching Richie's eyes as he considers exactly what to say.

He decides on, "I used to live in your head. We're in love."

He's not sure what he expected to happen in response, but Richie snorting at him certainly wasn't it.

"Right."

"I'm not lying," Eddie snips. "I'm an AI. Or I was. I dont know. And I used to live in that implant in your skull. But now I live in here. And you love me."

"I don't fucking know you."

"You do. You just don't remember."

Richie frowns, sitting back where he's perched on top of a large stone. Eddie realizes, belatedly, that they're in a cave, carved into the side of one of this planet's many hills. It's started to rain outside while they've been talking, gentle with no thunder.

"What are we doing here?"

"I wanted to ask you some questions," Richie says tightly. "Couldn't hand you over until I had them answered."

Eddie shrugs. "Okay. Fine."

"Am I supposed to just take your word for it that you know me? That you...that we're-"

"I know your mother's name is Margaret. She goes by Maggie. She was your only friend in the whole world, before you enlisted."

Richie's eyes flash, and Eddie only has time to blink before he's facing a familiar sight - the barrel of Richie's gun. He frowns up at him, the small prickle of fear overshadowed by sadness.

"My mother is dead," Richie snaps.

"She's not."

"Who told you about her?"

"You did."

"Bullshit."

"Fine. Shoot me, then."

Richie's jaw bulges with frustration and he growls low in his throat. "You say that like I won't."

"You won't," Eddie agrees evenly. "You won't hurt me."

"I don't. _Fucking_. Know you," Richie snarls, enunciating each word through bared teeth. "If you think your mind games will save your ass you're fucked."

"I'm not playing games with your mind! She is!" Eddie snaps, his eyes stinging. Every second he spends in front of Richie's gun breaks his heart a bit more. "You've been missing for nearly two weeks, Richie. We've been looking for you."

"My name is Epsilon."

"It isn't. She named you that. Your name is Richard."

"Fuck you."

"Take the gun out of my face," Eddie snaps suddenly, his voice raised and echoing in the cave as his nerves truly begin to fray. "I can't talk to you like this, and you don't scare me, so fuck off."

"Oh, I don't?"

"No."

Eddie closes his eyes when Richie takes rough hold of his arm, yanking him close. The gun moves to his temple, instead, pressing hard into the skin and worsening his headache.

"That hurts."

"Good."

Eddie opens his eyes to glare at him. He can't hold it for long, his vision blurring as he realizes this is the first time Richie's held him since he went missing. He blinks the tears away, a couple rolling down his cheeks, and rests his forehead on Richie's shoulder.

"Wh-get the fuck off me."

"I missed you so much."

"I said get off!"

"Then make me," Eddie says, wrapping his free arm around Richie's middle and holding on tight. "Or did you miss me, too?"

Richie tenses, and Eddie squeezes his eyes shut, knowing he's pushing his luck. Slowly, Richie's grip on his arm releases, and the gun moves away from his temple. Eddie blinks, pulling back to look at him. Richie has that same confused look, wide-eyed and brow furrowed, as he searches Eddie's face like he's trying to make sense of it.

"Eddie."

Eddie's heart stops for a moment. "Yes. It's me."

"What the fuck is happening?"

Richie's words are coming with more effort, a little slurred. Eddie frowns, reaching to cup his jaw with both hands.

"Richie. Richie, is that you?"

"Eddie, what-"

Eddie's fingertips brush Richie's implant, and he yelps and pulls them away when it shocks him so badly he feels like he's been shot.

"Fuck!" Richie shouts, letting him go completely and clutching the nape of his neck.

"What happened, what's wrong?" Eddie asks shakily, his hands and arms tingling painfully. "What happened?"

He takes a step toward Richie, and stops when Richie levels his weapon at him again.

"Don't fucking touch me!"

"Richie, please," Eddie sobs. "It's me. Come back."

"What the fuck is going on?!" Richie repeats, voice raised harshly. It makes Eddie flinch, though he wishes it didn't. "Why am I-what the fuck is wrong with me?"

"Sonia Gray fucked with your head," Eddie tells him. Something stirs behind Riche's eyes. "You know she's not trustworthy. You didn't need me to tell you that."

"No."

"Right. So is it so crazy to think I might not be lying to you?"

Richie growls, and throws his gun toward the mouth of the cave. It clatters against the wall and skids along the floor, coming to a stop near the entrance. Richie scowls at it, breathing hard. His pinched brows, pulled up like he's in pain, are what tell Eddie he's not angry - he's fucking terrified.

"Nothing makes sense," he says shakily. "It's all a fucking mess. I have these memories but I don't know which ones....I don't know if they're mine. They don't feel like mine."

"Some of them are," Eddie assures him, taking a careful step forward. "Please let me help you."

"You can't."

Eddie swallows, slowly reaching for him. He stops when Richie takes a step back.

"Can I look at your implant? Please?"

Richie stares at him, looking like a statue with how tense he is. "Why?"

"I just want to see it. It doesn't normaly do that when I touch it."

"What does it normally do?"

"Usually I can hear you. Feel you. And you can feel me. Usually it feels good."

Richie's throat bobs, and he blinks a few times. "You used to chase my nightmares away."

Eddie almost bursts into tears. "Yeah. Still do, when I can."

After another moment of hesitation, Richie slowly turns away from him, tilting his head forward to reveal his implant.

"Thank you," Eddie murmurs, carefully touching his back. He pauses when Richie tensees, but he doesn't push him away. He rubs a gentle circle between his shoulder blades as he leans in to look at the implant, frowning at all of the new burns framing it, streaking out and away like a starburst. It reminds him of the scar on Ed's chest, left behind by shotgun bullets tearing through him.

Sonia will leave scars on them all, before she's through.

Richie lets him get close enough to see the implant properly, and he resists the urge to wrap both arms around him and squeeze him tight, spin him around and kiss him silly. Instead, he squints at the bit he doesn't recognize - a chip, a sort of muted gold color and already damaged on the outside. He can feel an odd buzz emanating from it the closer he gets, the energy of it making his teeth hurt.

"What's this chip?"

"What chip?"

Eddie frowns.

"The chip. In your implant."

"I don't know about a fucking chip."

"...well. That's probably not good."

Richie pulls away from him, spinning to frown at him. "The fuck does that mean?"

Eddie blinks, not used to Richie being so combative at the drop of a hat. "Means I think that that's what's fucking with you. I don't know what it is exactly, but still."

"I don't remember getting it."

"I imagine Sonia either wiped that memory or altered it." Eddie reaches, brushing a bit of Richie's hair out of his eyes, and frowns when his hand is batted away. "Stop doing that."

"I don't want you to fucking touch me."

"I..." Eddie pauses, his heart clenching. Of course not. Richie doesn't know him. Or at least isn't sure why he does. He swallows down the tightness in his throat. "Um. Right. Okay. I'm sorry."

He pulls his hands away, and Richie catches them.

"Wait."

Eddie bites the inside of his lip.

"Richie. It's okay. You'll just confuse yourself."

"Eddie. You came to get me."

Eddie looks up at him, clenching his teeth at the pain in Richie's eyes, clear and focused for the moment. He nods, not bothering to correct him, pulling one hand free only to cup Richie's cheek. He brushes his thumb underneath his eye gently.

"Yeah, sweetheart. I'll always come get you."

Richie swallows, closing his eyes. "Everything's so confusing."

"I know. I love you."

"I love you, too."

Eddie sobs, hard.

"Richie."

He opens his mouth to say something else, or maybe to kiss him, he's not sure - and a bullet cracks on the ground near their feet, barely missing Richie's leg. Eddie blinks as Richie pulls him closer, as if to protect, and then seems to change his mind and wraps his forearm over Eddie's throat as he pins him against him, back to chest.

"Stop!" Eddie shouts, begging Mike, Law, and Ed with his eyes as they burst into the cave. "Stop, stop! Don't hurt him!"

"Let him fucking go!" Ed snarls, pointing his gun at Richie. He pauses for a second, faltering. "Wait, what the fuck."

"It's Richie, it's Richie," Eddie says, grunting when Richie's arm tightens over his throat. "Richie, stop, that hurts."

Richie doesn't answer, breathing quick and shallow in his ear. He's unarmed, Eddie remembers frantically. A cornered animal, about to do something desperate.

"Richie, baby," he murmurs, squeezing his forearm. "It's okay. It's okay. This is our family."

"I don't have a family."

"You do. They're all waiting for you. They miss you so much."

Richie growls in his ear, and Eddie wishes he wouldn't. Wishes that was still associated only with good memories, with pleasure and happiness. He doesn't want to be afraid of Richie.

Struck with an odd inspiration Eddie turns in his arms, relieved when Richie allows him just enough room to do so, frowning down at him with that same vague, confused expression. He takes a breath, and stands up on his toes to kiss him softly. Richie goes stiff, then relaxes, leaning into it tentatively. Eddie pets his jaw with both hands, pulling away after only a few seconds.

"It's gonna be okay, Rich," he murmurs. "Stay with me."

Richie swallows, blinking as if to clear his eyes. "I can't. I keep forgetting."

"It's okay. Honey, you-" Eddie swallows, tears welling up again. "You gotta let us get your hands okay? We have to make sure you're safe, when you forget again."

Richie swallows, nodding as his own eyes shine. "M'dangerous."

"It's just to be safe. I promise you'll be okay. Guys, does someone have-"

"Yeah, here."

Eddie holds out his hand and someone presses a simple, plastic restraint in his palm. He tries to clear the emotion from his throat, though a tear slips down his cheek as Richie holds out both wrists, willingly pressed together. He takes Richie's hands, lifts them to his mouth, and kisses the knuckles before securing them.

"I love you. You're gonna be alright."

"Love you, too. I love you, Eddie."

"I know."

* * *

Prose interlude for SMAU [Memory is the Key](https://twitter.com/memoryiskey_au) on Twitter


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